Egg production takes hit from Hurricane Beryl

By Nakinskie Robinson   

 

The snail's pace production of eggs post Hurricane Beryl has put the country in a position to face an egg supply crunch.

 

Mark Campbell, President of the Jamaica Egg Farmers Association, says while poultry farmers have been rebounding from infrastructural damage, chickens have not been been laying eggs at their usual pace.

 

"We had estimated at the time that the trauma and the stress brought on the birds by the storm, that it could have taken a period of about 21 days. That's the usual turn-around period that we use for birds that have undergone stress to come back. But it has gone way beyond that period. When we were hit in the early part of July until now, we are looking at about nine weeks and the birds have not returned to peak production."

 

As a result, Mr. Campbell said the country's overall egg production has seen a major dip. 

 

"The actual production of eggs in the country is down by between 20 and 30 per cent. So you can say an average of 25 per cent it's down, which is significant, and that is being reflected on the supermarket shelves," he revealed.  

 

But Mr. Campbell, who also supplies eggs for the hospitality industry, said, so far, there have been no reports of a shortage there.

 

He said stakeholders are working to remedy any fallout by way of pullets, which are young hens less than a year old that have not started laying eggs. 

 

"Pullet producers have assured us that they have the replacement pullets that will be put out there between August, September, October and November. One pullet supplier has assured me that they will put out between this period that we are in and the end of October, 150,000 pullets. So we feel confident that if these pullets that are going to be placed between now and the end of October and some in November also, we think we should be ready for the peak demand period, Christmas period and the hotel season," he said.